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Un Jan Contreras S, Redfern LK, Maguire LW, Promi SI, Gardner CM. Small Interfering RNAs (siRNAs) Negatively Impact Growth and Gene Expression of Environmentally Relevant Bacteria in In Vitro Conditions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:13856-13865. [PMID: 39066708 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c01685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Rising global populations have amplified food scarcity and ushered in the development of genetically modified (GM) crops containing small interference RNAs (siRNAs) that control gene expression to overcome these challenges. The use of RNA interference (RNAi) in agriculture remains controversial due to uncertainty regarding the unintended release of genetic material and downstream nontarget effects, which have not been assessed in environmental bacteria to date. To evaluate the impacts of siRNAs used in agriculture on environmental bacteria, this study assessed microbial growth and viability as well as transcription activity with and without the presence of environmental stressors. Results showed a statistically significant reduction in growth capacity and maximum biomass achieved when bacteria are exposed to siRNAs alone and with additional external stress (p < 0.05). Further transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that nutrient cycling gene activities were found to be consistently and significantly altered following siRNA exposure, particularly among carbon (xylA, FBPase, limEH, Chitinase, rgl, rgh, rgaE, mannanase, ara) and nitrogen (ureC, nasA, narB, narG, nirK) cycling genes (p < 0.05). Decreases in carbon cycling gene transcription profiles were generally significantly enhanced when siRNA exposure was coupled with nutrient or antimicrobial stress. Collectively, findings suggest that certain conditions facilitate the uptake of siRNAs from their surrounding environments that can negatively affect bacterial growth and gene expression activity, with uncertain downstream impacts on ecosystem homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Un Jan Contreras
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State University, 405 Spokane St., Pullman, Washington 99164, United States
| | - L K Redfern
- Department of Bioengineering, Civil Engineering, and Environmental Engineering, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd., Fort Myers, Florida 33965, United States
| | - L W Maguire
- Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 301E E Dean Keeton St c1700, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - S I Promi
- Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 301E E Dean Keeton St c1700, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - C M Gardner
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State University, 405 Spokane St., Pullman, Washington 99164, United States
- Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 301E E Dean Keeton St c1700, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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Huang CK, Lin YN, Huang WS, Senapati S, Chang HC, Sun YM, Huang LF. RNA-based detection of genetically modified plants via current-voltage characteristic measurement. J Biotechnol 2024; 383:27-38. [PMID: 38336281 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2024.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The widespread adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops has escalated concerns about their safety and ethical implications, underscoring the need for efficient GM crop detection methods. Conventional detection methods, such as polymerase chain reaction, can be costly, lab-bound, and time-consuming. To overcome these challenges, we have developed RapiSense, a cost-effective, portable, and sensitive biosensor platform. This sensor generates a measurable voltage shift (0.1-1 V) in the system's current-voltage characteristics, triggered by an increase in membrane's negative charge upon hybridization of DNA/RNA targets with a specific DNA probe. Probes designed to identify the herbicide resistance gene hygromycin phosphotransferase show a detection range from ∼1 nM to ∼10 μM and can discriminate between complementary, non-specific, and mismatched nucleotide targets. The incorporation of a small membrane sensor to detect fragmented RNA samples substantially improve the platform's sensitivity. In this study, RapiSense has been effectively used to detect specific DNA and fragmented RNA in transgenic variants of Arabidopsis, sweet potato, and rice, showcasing its potential for rapid, on-site GM crop screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Kai Huang
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan 320315, Taiwan, Republic of China; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan 320315, Taiwan, Republic of China; Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115201, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Yi-Nan Lin
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan 320315, Taiwan, Republic of China; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan 320315, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Wen-Shan Huang
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan 320315, Taiwan, Republic of China; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan 320315, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Satyajyoti Senapati
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Hsueh-Chia Chang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Yi-Ming Sun
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan 320315, Taiwan, Republic of China; R&D Center for Membrane Technology, Chung Yuan University, Taoyuan 320071, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Li-Fen Huang
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan 320315, Taiwan, Republic of China.
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